Bottle with Sealing Insert

ABSTRACT

A hazardous materials containment bottle provides greater sealing against the environment by the combination of a funnel-like cone-shaped insert with a lid which includes a downward projecting stopper that mates with an aperture in the center of the insert. A second sealing point is provided by a circular rim at the top of the insert which is compressed between a ledge along the top of the bottle sidewall and the underside of the lid. A third sealing point is provided by a gasket between the outer circumference of the lid and a flange around the mouth of the bottle.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to containers for pharmaceutical products which require the greatest degree of isolation from the environment. More specifically it relates to a lid-mounted stopper which cooperates with a sealing insert that includes a central pour aperture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Some containment bottles used in the pharmaceutical industry are manufactured from heavy stainless steel to provide a near indestructible containment of fluids that may be hazardous to the environment or personnel. The closures require the tightest seal possible to prevent any leakage of the bottle contents. To this end, flanged end caps are secured by strong clamps to provide a high force for joining the end caps to the mouth of the bottles. An elastomeric ring seal is typically provided around the periphery of the mouth of the bottle and the inside face of the end cap. Such a container is disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,138 issued to Lin.

However, despite the high lid clamp force provided by bottles of this type, there still exists the possibility of leakage between the end cap and the seal ring gasket, or the gasket and the mouth of the bottle, or both. Furthermore, once the end cap has been removed, there is no restriction against the free flow of liquid out of the bottle should there be a spill condition in which a bottle is accidentally tipped over.

It is known that containers utilize inserts for controlling the admission or discharge of fluids from a bottle by use of a cone-shaped insert. In some cases, the insert is used as a funnel for introducing fluids which also provides spill prevention. In other cases, inserts are used as wipers for implements introduced into the bottle such as stirrers or brushes. Examples of these inserts are shown in the preceding U.S. patents. However, there is no known use of a scaling insert that cooperates with a lid-mounted stopper.

Therefore, there still exists in the art a need for a hazardous material containment bottle which provides superior sealing against the surrounding environment and which provides a degree of accidental spill prevention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to meet the needs of the art, the present invention has been devised which provides a triple seal containment system that prevents leakage of hazardous materials into the environment. Greater sealing is provided by the combination of a funnel-like cone-shaped insert that has a central aperture which cooperates with a stopper that projects downward from the inside of the end cap so that the aperture of the insert is closed when the lid is closed. This arrangement provides a preliminary seal ahead of the lid ring gasket. Yet another sealing point is provided by a circular rim at the top of the insert which is compressed between a ledge along the top of the bottle sidewall and the underside of the lid. These two additional sealing points together with the lid gasket provides a triple seal against any possible leakage.

More specifically the Applicant has invented a bottle comprising a body having a central containment space and an open circular mouth at the top encircled by a radially extending flange. An insert is tightly fitted along the mouth of the bottle with sides that extend from the internal sidewall of the bottle convergently downward to a central aperture of the insert. The lid has an underside which includes a downward projecting stopper in the center. The outside circumference of the tip of the stopper mates with the edge of the insert aperture to close the containment space off when the lid is closed.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top right front isometric view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top right front isometric exploded assembly view.

FIG. 2 a is a bottom front isometric view of an alternate embodiment insert.

FIG. 3 is a right side elevation sectional view taken from FIG. 1 as shown in that figure.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional elevation view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 1, the present invention is a volatile material containment bottle for use, as an example, with sensitive pharmaceutical products or hazardous materials in liquid or powder form. Basic elements of the bottle include a body 11, and a lid 17 which is held forcibly to the top of the bottle by clamp 15 tightened by screw and wing nut assembly 13.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the elements of the invention are more clearly depicted with the internal features shown. Lid 17 includes a central stopper 12 that includes a downwardly projecting fingertip. The stopper may be formed integrally with the lid, and in one embodiment the lid is machined from stainless steel and the stopper is formed integrally with the lid during the machining process. In another embodiment, the stopper may be an elastomeric element affixed to the underside of the lid such as by an adhesive. The periphery of the lid includes grooves 23, and similar features are found along the top surface of the bottle flange 21. These grooves cooperate with features of flange gasket 20 to create a labyrinth seal.

A key feature of the invention is insert 14 that includes a rim 25 which will be described in more detail with regard to FIG. 3. The insert is cone-shaped in its free state and includes a central pour aperture 19. Rim 25 is fitted within a recess 27 along the top of the internal side wall of the bottle. It is held there by resilient compression of the insert material. The insert 14 is preferably composed of an elastomeric material such as silicon Teflon® or Buna N. With the lid removed, the insert aperture provides access for introducing and removing fluid from the inside of the bottle such as is normally done with a tube or pipette.

FIG. 2 a depicts an alternate embodiment insert 14 which illustrates a spreadable slit 28 in place of the aperture 19 shown on the insert 14 of FIG. 2. This alternate embodiment is otherwise identical to the insert of FIG. 2. The slit provides access to the containment chamber while providing a self-sealing closure when the bottle is open. The slit is dimensioned so that when the lid is closed, the fingertip of the stopper will be forced into the slit to enhance the seal.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the various elements of the invention are shown in their assembled condition. The flanges of the lid 17 and bottle body 11 are wedged tightly together by the action of clamp 15. As seen clearly in this figure, the fingertip 18 of stopper 12 fits tightly within the central aperture of insert 14 to provide a sealed closure of the internal containment space 16 of the bottle. When the lid is closed, rim 25 of the insert is compressed between the underside of the lid and a ledge 26 in the sidewall of the bottle at the bottom of recess 27 to provide a second point of sealing. The third point of sealing is provided by the flange gasket 20. It will also be appreciated from this figure that although the insert is naturally cone-shaped in its free state, it bulges slightly due to its radially inward compression by the sidewall of the bottle. In addition, the insert is dimensioned such that the fingertip 18 of the stopper forcibly abuts the insert. This provides a resilient seating of the stopper tip within the insert aperture that adds to its sealing capability. The bulging of the insert is also believed to lend to its ability to seal by aperture bubble formation after a complete inversion of the bottle with the lid removed that will be further described with regard to FIG. 4. As will also be appreciated from this figure, the base of the bottle body 11 is massive to provide a very low center of gravity to prevent tipping.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the dimension of the insert aperture may be selected such that the surface tension of the contained fluid will form a bubble 31 across the aperture to prevent leakage of the fluid 35 when the bottle 11 is turned upside down as shown in this figure. This bubble-forming phenomenon is dependent on several variables including surface tension of the fluid, the insert material, the angle of the insert adjacent the aperture and the size of aperture. Because of this phenomenon, the liquid behaves like a membrane at the liquid-air interface which provides the sealing property of the invention insert. While scientific calculations may be made to arrive at the proper combination of variables to achieve the bubble formation, because of the complexity of the calculation and the number of variables, it is most likely that the dimensions of insert will be arrived at through some degree of trial and error. In the preferred embodiment, the aperture diameter is 0.250 inches and the insert material is an 80 durometer silicon. The edge of the hole is rounded with a radius of 0.015 inches and the thickness of the insert material tapers from the outer edge to the central aperture at an angle of 15°. This bubble-forming aspect of the invention prevents leakage due to an accidental spill. It will also be appreciated that with a small amount of contained fluid, when the bottle is tipped on its side, the fluid level will be below that of the insert aperture thereby preventing an accidental spill. Alternately, the insert may provide a pierceable self-sealing membrane, in which case a stopper may not be utilized.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art from the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment that the invention provides many advantages including greater sealing and leak prevention over the prior art. Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

1. A bottle, comprising: a body having an internal containment space and an open mouth at the top; an insert tightly fitted within the mouth of the bottle along an internal sidewall of the body and extending from a circumferential top edge convergently downward to a central aperture; and a lid having an underside including a downward projecting stopper in the center, a fingertip of said stopper being in seating relation with said insert aperture along an outside circumference of said fingertip whereby said containment space is closed thereby when the lid is in a closed position over the mouth of the bottle.
 2. The bottle of claim 1 wherein said mouth is encircled by a radially outwardly extending flange of said body.
 3. The bottle of claim 2 further including a clamp substantially encircling said flange and longitudinally compressing said lid against said body.
 4. The bottle of claim 3 further including a rim extending upwardly from the top edge of said insert, said rim being compressed between an annular ledge along the inside wall of said containment space and the underside of said lid.
 5. The bottle of claim 1 wherein the dimension of said insert aperture is selected such that the surface tension of a fluid within said containment space forms a bubble over the aperture when said bottle is inverted preventing the escape of said fluid through said insert aperture.
 6. The bottle of claim 1 wherein said bottle is composed of stainless steel.
 7. The bottle of claim 1 wherein said insert is composed of silicon.
 8. The bottle of claim 1 wherein said insert is substantially cone-shaped in its free state that is dimensioned such that the sides of the insert bulge outwardly by the fitment of said insert within an annular recess along the internal side wall of said containment space.
 9. The bottle of claim 1 wherein said stopper is unitary with said lid.
 10. A bottle, comprising: a body having an internal containment space and an open mouth at the top; a substantially conical insert tightly fitted within the mouth of the bottle and extending from internal sidewalls of the body convergently downward to a spreadable slit at the bottom of the insert; and a lid having an underside including a downward projecting stopper in the center, a fingertip of said stopper being in seating relation with said insert slit along an outside circumference of said fingertip whereby said containment space is closed thereby when the lid is in a closed position on the bottle. 